Skip to main content

Day 6

 


Day 6: The Joy Is in the Little Things

Life of a Support Facilitator

Have I told you how much I love my job?

I was just telling my mom tonight how relaxing it feels — and yes, that might sound strange to anyone who hasn’t spent a day in the life of a Support Facilitator! But there’s something deeply fulfilling about moving from class to class, helping students find success, and knowing that each small victory matters.

Math, Motivation, and Meaningful Moments

I started the day with my first class, administering a math test on geometric figures. I was able to jump right in, monitor students, and make sure everyone stayed on task. I continue to believe that many students with IEPs perform better when their tests are read by a human rather than a computer’s monotone voice.

A human reader provides tone, pacing, and the ability to pause or clarify — all of which make a big difference for students who need help processing questions and answer choices. Engagement goes up, and frustration goes down.

Perspective and Positivity

In my next class, a student told me her uncle had passed away. I asked how she was doing, and she responded, “My mom said my brother is in a happier place, and that makes us not sad.”

What a powerful, positive outlook — and such a testament to the resilience children can show when surrounded by love and faith.

Interventions and Inventiveness

Later, I worked with two students to identify the areas they needed additional support in. This helps me plan targeted interventions based on their previous grade-level standards. I spent time afterward organizing lessons and strategies tailored to one student’s specific needs — aligning them with 4th grade intervention skills to build a foundation for growth.

In another class, I helped a student stay focused while brainstorming for a writing project about inventing something new. He proudly told me about his idea — an ice cream machine that makes five flavors at once: chocolate, vanilla, mint, strawberry, and birthday cake. 🍨

He was struggling to finish his sentence, even with a visual and his token board, so I tried setting a 2-minute timer to help him focus. It worked beautifully! (We’ll see if the strategy sticks next time.)

Another student made me laugh with her invention — a cat robot that cleans up cat poop! Her creativity and humor made my entire morning.

Flexibility and Flow

Later, while testing two more students, I realized one of them needed visuals for each math problem to complete the assignment successfully. Small supports like that make all the difference.

Then came one of those spontaneous moments that make this job so unique — I volunteered to take three students upstairs to my room to complete a reissued math diagnostic. I didn’t even know two of them, but it didn’t matter. They needed help, and I was in a position to provide it.

I called my next teacher to let her know I couldn’t leave and asked her to send my next student up instead. That’s the beauty of this role — flexibility. After ten years in a separate ESE classroom, I’ve learned that kids go with the flow, so adults should, too. Sometimes, the best opportunities come from just saying yes.

Phonics and Fulfillment

My final class of the day focused on writing and phonics. I worked with one student whose careful articulation of every sound was nothing short of phenomenal. Watching him pronounce each phoneme so precisely reminded me why I love teaching foundational skills — it’s proof of growth you can see and hear.

It’s these moments — the smiles, the breakthroughs, the laughter, the learning — that make my job so meaningful.

Gratitude

Every day brings new challenges, but also countless rewards. I truly love what I do, and I’m grateful for everyone who believes in me and supports me on this journey.

The little things aren’t little — they’re everything. 💛

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 12

🌿  Week 12: Choosing Gratitude in the Uncomfortable This week, I made the conscious choice to lead with gratitude. I knew my mindset had to shift if I was going to give my best — not just to my students, but to myself. Each morning, my daughter Abby and I started our day by sharing something we were thankful for at school. It was grounding and intentional — a reminder that even in hard seasons, there is good worth naming. Monday I began the week thankful for my administration and ready to reset my mindset. A morning in-house meeting reminded me that I am not alone in collecting data and that sometimes support shows up where you least expect it. I left that meeting with clarity and a lighter load. Throughout the day, I worked across grade levels — from SIPPS decoding polysyllabic words to practicing partial differences in math to coaching students on plot structure in a leveled reader. I even stretched my comfort zone by teaching small group inside the general education classroom. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week 11

  Week 11 — “Finding Gratitude in the Hard” This week, I began to feel discouraged. Every day felt heavy, and each morning I struggled to find the motivation to walk through the school doors. Monday set the tone early, and before I could settle in,the day was moving at full speed. One student started the day struggling from something that happened before he even arrived at school. His behavior reflected it all day long. Even though he wasn’t on my schedule, I had him join my 5th-grade reading group just to reset. After time to decompress, he was able to return to class calm and ready. Moments like this remind me how crucial it is to seek the  “why”  behind behavior — especially for students with autism. Everyone has hard days. He didn’t need consequences — he needed understanding and a reset button. At the end of Monday, I learned I would be completing an initial IEP for a student I’d never worked with before. I’ve never written an initial IEP on my own — all my students ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week 10

  Life of a Support Facilitator – Week 10 “Carry One Another’s Loads” Monday: This week began with an unexpected twist. Fifth grade was supposed to take a Science test, but a nationwide glitch in Amazon’s system took down major platforms — Canvas, Venmo, Zelle, and more. It’s crazy how much we rely on Wi-Fi for our daily needs. With the outage, I spent time creating token boards for students across multiple classes to support behavior. I collaborated with teachers to design systems that would work best for them, knowing that behavior support often involves trial and error. In our county, we focus on positive reinforcement rather than negative consequences. For many neurodivergent students, a token economy system works wonders — typically a board with five stars or symbols leading to a preferred item. Rewards can range from five minutes of computer time, candy, Legos, or a walk, to a photo or special privilege. Once a student earns a star for completing a task, it cannot be taken aw...
Post a Comment
Read more